Are people saying bad things about your small business online? Do negative comments appear at the top of the search engines when you do a search for your business name?

Well, instead of sitting back and watching your sales and credibility decline, take action!

Small Business Public Relations and SEO to the Rescue!

If you want to increase the number of positive mentions that appear at the top of the search engines when potential customers search for information about your business, it’s time to implement a PR and SEO strategy. Here are three things you can do right now to help your online reputation:

1. Post an SEO Press Release.

Write a press release about something newsworthy at your business. Ensure that it provides valuable information, is written in the appropriate AP Style, and potential customers will want to read it. Then, make sure it is optimized for the search engines with the appropriate keywords and links. If you don’t know how to do this, it is well worth it to hire an SEO copywriter to do it for you. Then, post the press release on free sites and use a low-cost distribution service, if possible.

2. Write an SEO Blog.

Post some new and valuable information on your site for your customers. Share some industry insights or expert tips. Write a blog that’s at least 350 words and then optimize it for the search engines. Then, post it on an industry site or your site.

3. Write an Optimized Article or Tip Sheet.

Create a Tip Sheet, eBook or ePamphlet that provides valuable information and is user-friendly. Again, ensure that it is optimized for the search engines, and post it online. Perhaps, you can give it away as a free gift when people register for your newsletter?

Repeat the Process.

Once you start posting and promoting valuable information online that has the correct SEO, you will start to see negative comments about your business move down on search-engine listings. If done correctly, they will be replaced with more positive information that you have some control over.

And for the best ROI, I highly recommend you work with an experienced SEO strategist/publicist. This way, you’ll see better results faster, and you can concentrate on your core, business activities.

]]>http://www.startupnation.com/grow-your-business/get-more-sales/small-business-pr-and-seo/feed/2How is Your Website Doing So Far This Year?http://www.startupnation.com/grow-your-business/run-your-business-better/website-success/
http://www.startupnation.com/grow-your-business/run-your-business-better/website-success/#commentsThu, 07 Feb 2013 15:13:48 +0000http://www.startupnation.com/business-blogs/?p=5199February is already here, and it’s time to see how your Website is doing so far this year. If they are not going well… Find out what is happening. Is site traffic down because you have broken links? Perhaps, your target-market wants different copy? Look at your analytics and find out what is going on. [...]

]]>February is already here, and it’s time to see how your Website is doing so far this year.

If they are not going well…

Find out what is happening.

Is site traffic down because you have broken links?
Perhaps, your target-market wants different copy?

Look at your analytics and find out what is going on. If you see broken links, fix them. If your find that your customers are clicking frequently on a particular page, write more of that same content.

By reviewing you statistics, you can find out what is not going well and fix it. More important, you can discover what information is valuable to your customers right now.

If they are going so-so…

Take a look at what is working and what isn’t.

Which pages are the most popular on your Website?

Which marketing campaigns are bringing in new sales and which aren’t?

The great thing about today’s technology is that you can see what activities are working and change those that aren’t for the best results. If you are not taking advantage of Web analytics, e-mail statistics and other, information you can track, start using it to take your activities to the next level of success.

If they are going great…

Good for you! But this is no time to stop.

Look at your analytics and run A/B tests on your marketing campaigns to see what works best. All of your activities can be improved and updated to match the needs of your current, target market.

By providing the most valuable information at the best time, you can increase new site visitors and sales fast. But if you sit around celebrating your success without improving your activities, the competition will start stealing customers before you know it.

Keep Moving Forward.

Whether things are going well or not, you can always be improving your current activities and moving forward. Your customers always want the latest and greatest information. By reviewing your statistics, knowing what is going on with your different campaigns and being on top of customer needs, you can provide valuable information that keeps you one step ahead of the competition.

]]>http://www.startupnation.com/grow-your-business/run-your-business-better/website-success/feed/3How to Improve Your SEO Rankingshttp://www.startupnation.com/grow-your-business/maximize-your-marketing/improve-seo-rankings/
http://www.startupnation.com/grow-your-business/maximize-your-marketing/improve-seo-rankings/#commentsWed, 08 Aug 2012 10:38:01 +0000http://www.startupnation.com/business-blogs/?p=5124The birds are singing. The flowers are blooming, and Google is probably updating their search engine systems again. In a past update (http://on.wsj.com/AorvqW), Google incorporated “semantic search,” looking at the meaning of words… so how does this change your SEO processes? Well, if you haven’t been writing quality content and just posting as many search [...]

]]>The birds are singing. The flowers are blooming, and Google is probably updating their search engine systems again.

In a past update (http://on.wsj.com/AorvqW), Google incorporated “semantic search,” looking at the meaning of words… so how does this change your SEO processes?

Well, if you haven’t been writing quality content and just posting as many search engine optimization (SEO) keywords as possible, the search engine results for your site will change dramatically… for the worse.

Now, it’s more important than ever to provide your site visitors with valuable information first, and keywords second. To do this, follow these simple guidelines:

Write articles that are at least 250 words so that the search engines can find them;

Add your SEO keywords to the title, sub-title and internal links within the article; and most important,

Figure out what kind of content your audience wants and provide it!

Don’t Worry About Search Engine Updates.

Google and the other search engines will always be changing in order to improve their services and stay ahead of the competition. Instead of worrying about the next update and how it will change your search rankings, concentrate on providing valuable information to your customers relevant to your SEO keywords.

If you give your audience good content, answer their questions and offer them something to share with others, you’ll increase sales and word-of-mouth. And at the same time, you’ll probably increase your SEO rankings. Now that’s good SEO!

]]>http://www.startupnation.com/grow-your-business/maximize-your-marketing/improve-seo-rankings/feed/755Beware SEO Bundling!http://www.startupnation.com/grow-your-business/leverage-business-technology/beware-seo-bundling/
http://www.startupnation.com/grow-your-business/leverage-business-technology/beware-seo-bundling/#commentsWed, 27 Jun 2012 12:07:06 +0000http://www.startupnation.com/business-blogs/?p=5113You’ve seen the bundled services for Internet, phone and television which can often save you a lot of money. Well, today you’ll also see a lot of these “bundled” services for search engine optimization, or SEO. With the tough economy, many businesses are trying to branch out and offer customers unique packages at a discount. [...]

]]>You’ve seen the bundled services for Internet, phone and television which can often save you a lot of money. Well, today you’ll also see a lot of these “bundled” services for search engine optimization, or SEO.

With the tough economy, many businesses are trying to branch out and offer customers unique packages at a discount. And since many technology companies and Web design firms deal with creating Websites, they add SEO to their list of services.

Right away, you may think, “This is great! The same person who is creating my Website design can add all of the copy so that the search engines can find my business online. I’ll save time and money with a one-stop shop.”

And the only way to do this is to have a trained, SEO copywriter write your SEO copy and tagging for you. A good, SEO copywriter will:

Conduct extensive research on the top keywords your business should use to reach your particular goals. This includes competitive research, keyword popularity research and common sense.

Use the top keywords for your business to provide beneficial information to your customers.

Write copy that is interesting, pertinent to your target market and shows up on the search engines.

Monitor your keywords and make changes immediately to get the best results.

While a graphic designer can be fabulous at Web design, you need an SEO copywriter to write your copy. You are dealing with two, completely different fields – one is trained on the technology side to create a killer Website design. The other has spent years perfecting the craft of writing copy that sells.

Keep Your Experts Separate for the Best Results.

While you can save time and money at a “one stop shop” for your Website, you may not get the end results you want. With Google’s recent updates and others, the search engines are looking for valuable content. Only an expert copywriter knows how to write this copy. If you have a technician writing your copy, it may have lots of SEO keywords in it, but it won’t necessarily provide value to customers and sell your products and services the right way.

With this in mind, take the time to conduct the appropriate research the next time you are looking for to create or update your Website. Find an experienced expert for the technology and Web-design side of things. Then, look for a professional, SEO copywriter who can write valuable copy for your customers and the search engines. In the end, you’ll get more attention online and increase sales.

]]>http://www.startupnation.com/grow-your-business/leverage-business-technology/beware-seo-bundling/feed/85 Reasons You Should Not Write a Bloghttp://www.startupnation.com/start-your-business/launch-a-home-business/write-a-blog/
http://www.startupnation.com/start-your-business/launch-a-home-business/write-a-blog/#commentsWed, 25 Apr 2012 19:08:44 +0000http://www.startupnation.com/business-blogs/?p=5099As a small business owner, you’ve heard all about the benefits of having a blog for search engine optimization (SEO) and getting noticed online. But just because everyone else has a blog doesn’t necessarily mean you should write one too. Here are… The Top 5 Reasons You Should Not Write a Blog. 1. You are [...]

]]>As a small business owner, you’ve heard all about the benefits of having a blog for search engine optimization (SEO) and getting noticed online. But just because everyone else has a blog doesn’t necessarily mean you should write one too. Here are…

The Top 5 Reasons You Should Not Write a Blog.

1. You are a horrible writer.

If you are a terrible writer and hate to write, please do not write a blog. Not only will you provide a bad impression, but most people will not even read your entries because they are so badly written.

2. You have nothing to say.

What are you going to write about? You need to offer your audience valuable insights, tips and information. If you can’t think of anything to write about, your blog will turn into a weekly nightmare of staring at a blank page.

3. You can’t provide new entries each week.

Blogs are a part of social media so that means you need to be social and interact with your audience on a regular basis. If you are unable to post a blog entry at least once a week, and respond to reader comments when they are posted, you and your business will appear outdated and that you don’t care.

If you can’t post regularly, it’s better not to post at all.

4. Your customers don’t read blogs.

Hold on! Before you start writing, have you checked your audience demographics? Do your customers read blogs on a regular basis?

Some traditional companies will not do well with blogs simply because their audience members are not online. Know your customers. If you’re not sure whether or not a blog will work, conduct a test. Write a few blogs and see if anyone comments on them or clicks on the links you provide within the blog entries. If no one responds or reads your blogs, it’s best to find another medium your audience will react to more favorably.

5. You don’t have an action plan.

What are you trying to accomplish? If you are just writing to write, you are wasting time and effort. Create goals for your blog entries and ways to measure the results. This way, you’ll see what’s working and what isn’t to provide the best content possible in the most cost-effective way possible.

Blogs aren’t for everyone.

Blogs are a great way to interact with your customers and get noticed by the search engines. But if you are a bad writer, can’t provide value and don’t have end goals, your blog may end up wasting you time, money and effort.

Study your audience and figure out what they want and how they like to receive information. Then, set goals based on this information and your overall, marketing plan. At this point, it may be wise to hire an SEO copywriter to write and manage your blog process for you so that you can focus on your core, business responsibilities.

By approaching your blog process in the right way, you can provide value to your audience, increase SEO and improve sales and customer relations.

]]>http://www.startupnation.com/start-your-business/launch-a-home-business/write-a-blog/feed/10583 Signs of SEO Copywriting Burnouthttp://www.startupnation.com/start-your-business/launch-a-home-business/seo-copywriting-burn-out/
http://www.startupnation.com/start-your-business/launch-a-home-business/seo-copywriting-burn-out/#commentsWed, 18 Apr 2012 12:42:56 +0000http://www.startupnation.com/business-blogs/?p=5095Are you writing Website landing pages, e-mails, search engine optimization (SEO) tags, blogs, social media entries, and more on a daily basis? If so, you may be experiencing one or more of the following symptoms: • Difficulty turning on the computer to start writing. • Endlessly staring at a blank page waiting for inspiration to [...]

]]>Are you writing Website landing pages, e-mails, search engine optimization (SEO) tags, blogs, social media entries, and more on a daily basis? If so, you may be experiencing one or more of the following symptoms:

• Difficulty turning on the computer to start writing.

• Endlessly staring at a blank page waiting for inspiration to hit you.

• The need to step away from the computer to get a drink, snack, go to the bathroom, etc.

Do any of these sound familiar?

If so, you may be plain sick of writing SEO copy and ready for a break. When you just don’t feel like writing, it will show in your content… so if you are feeling burn out, here are…

5 Quick Tips to Recharge your Mind, Body and SEO Writing Spirit!

1. Go outside.

Take a walk, run a quick errand or just walk outside of your office for a few minutes. By taking some deep breaths of fresh air in a new environment, you can clear your head and get inspired by nature.

2. Have a healthy snack or drink.

While you don’t want to spend too much time away from your office, you may need a boost of energy to get your body going. Opt for a healthy piece of fruit, energy bar or juice drink. And it never hurts to stay hydrated with lots of water. If you drink a caffeinated beverage, know that this will wear off fast, and you may feel worse than before you drank it!

3. Read resources.

If you are feeling uninspired, look through some business books by good authors. Check online articles and read current, news stories. Look at niche publications for your industry. You may find something that sparks your interest and gets your writing juices flowing.

4. Talk to your target market.

Still stuck? It’s time to get in touch with your audience. If you can, talk to someone who matches the demographic you are writing for. Find out what they are interested in right now.

Read through testimonials at your office and talk to your sales representatives about their current customers. This way, you’ll get insider details on what your readers are thinking about write now. Then, you can write about topics they are specifically interested in hearing about.

5. Take time off.

If nothing seems to be working, and you just don’t want to write anything, take some time off to recharge. Either go on a vacation and get a change of scenery, or stay at home and watch some mindless television or participate in your favorite hobby or sport.

Listen to your body. If you are tired, bored and sick of writing, you probably just need a break. Unwind and relax. Then, when you get back to work, you’ll have a fresh perspective and be ready to write again.

The Need for Content is Never Ending.

As small business owners who write SEO copy, we know that content is king, and good copy can help increase online awareness, sales and credibility. And with Web pages, blogs, social media entries, articles, press releases, case studies, and more, the need for copy is never-ending.

It can be exhausting to keep up with all of the writing, especially if you are doing it all on your own. When you start to feel overwhelmed and burned out, take a break! Do what you need to do to relax and get inspired to write once again. Then, you’ll be able to provide valuable content that provides the results you want to see.

]]>http://www.startupnation.com/start-your-business/launch-a-home-business/seo-copywriting-burn-out/feed/25Google Update and Your SEO-What Do You Need To Do?http://www.startupnation.com/start-your-business/launch-a-home-business/new-google-update-seo/
http://www.startupnation.com/start-your-business/launch-a-home-business/new-google-update-seo/#commentsThu, 12 Apr 2012 10:15:28 +0000http://www.startupnation.com/business-blogs/?p=5092You just finished updating your search engine optimization (SEO) with Google’s Panda update, and now you hear that Google is making another update. What do you do? Well, don’t’ stress out. You have no control over what Google does. But there is one thing you can do to ensure you maintain your top SEO rankings, [...]

]]>You just finished updating your search engine optimization (SEO) with Google’s Panda update, and now you hear that Google is making another update. What do you do?

Well, don’t’ stress out. You have no control over what Google does. But there is one thing you can do to ensure you maintain your top SEO rankings, or improve them:

Provide Valuable Content.

Gone are the days of trying to “trick the system” by stuffing as many of your top keywords into your copy as possible. People don’t want to read this mumbo jumbo, and Google realizes it.

In fact, all of the search engines will continue to update their systems to provide the best, competitive value to their customers as possible… so instead of trying to keep up with all of the updates, think like the search engines and provide value to your customers.

How do you provide value and SEO too?

Providing value to your customers along with SEO is not difficult. Simply answer these questions:

What do my customers want?

What keeps my customers up at night?

How can I solve my customers’ problem?

What’s in it for my customers?

Why would potential customers want to visit my site?

What information can I provide within seconds to new site visitors?

The list goes on, but you get the idea. Think about your customers’ needs and fulfill them. This will help you write copy that provides them with value.

Once you have your copy written, add your SEO keywords to the header, sub-head and links within the copy. Don’t go overboard with your keywords. Simply add them to your copy where they make sense.

Then, check your statistics to see what your customers are clicking on and find most interesting. Use this data to provide more information specific to your customers’ needs.

Stop the SEO madness!

If you concentrate on all of the search engine updates and try to create a site specifically for the search engines, you’ll constantly be making updates and working many, long hours. And most likely, you’ll end up with a site that makes no sense to your customers.

Instead of stressing out, stick to your overall marketing goals and think about your target market. By giving your customers what they need, you provide value.

And guess what? Underneath all of the technical updates, that is what Google is still looking for to give Websites higher, search rankings.

]]>http://www.startupnation.com/start-your-business/launch-a-home-business/new-google-update-seo/feed/1310 Tweets To Solve Twitter Writer’s Blockhttp://www.startupnation.com/start-your-business/launch-a-home-business/10-tweets-to-solve-twitter-writers-block/
http://www.startupnation.com/start-your-business/launch-a-home-business/10-tweets-to-solve-twitter-writers-block/#commentsMon, 02 Apr 2012 19:34:05 +0000http://www.startupnation.com/business-blogs/?p=5089If you are actively involved in your social media activities, then you may have trouble coming up with new and exciting tweets to share with your customers on a daily basis. However, there is a simple fix for this. Remember, social media is about being social and interaction. When you are not sure what to [...]

]]>If you are actively involved in your social media activities, then you may have trouble coming up with new and exciting tweets to share with your customers on a daily basis. However, there is a simple fix for this. Remember, social media is about being social and interaction.

When you are not sure what to talk about, think about your target audience.

What do they want to hear? What do they care about right now?

With this in mind, her are some tips to help you come up with some good Tweets:
10 Sweet Tweets for Your Customers

1. Do you have a special discount to share with your Twitter followers only?

2. Do you have an exclusive event or contest going on for your Twitter audience only?

3. Do you have some hot, company news to share?

4. What is the latest trend in your industry?

5. What is the latest news in your industry?

6. Is there a unique holiday or current event you can discuss?

7. What is going on in today’s celebrity news that relates to your company?

8. Did one of your followers say something interesting you can discuss?

9. Did you read an interesting story that will provide value to your customers?

10. Do you have any survey results or industry statistics to share?

Get Organized.

These are just a few ideas to get your brain going. And once you get started, I’m sure you can think of many more. And if you want to be really organized, you’ll want to set up an editorial calendar. This way, you can plan what kind of information you want to share with your audiences in advance.

For example, maybe you are starting a contest in June, having a big summer sale in July or holding an event in August. You can add these to your editorial calendar in advance and start thinking of interesting ways to talk about them in your Tweets.

And if you really don’t know what your customers want to hear, test the information you post. Which entries get the most feedback? Which comments send lots of people back to your site? You get the idea.

The key is to post information that your target market will be interested in sharing with others. This takes time and effort so if you notice you are posting comments about what you had for lunch, things your kids said after school or how you just had an argument with your spouse, stop! You are getting lazy and need to focus on your audience.

Twitter can be a fun way to interact with your customers and discover more about your target market. If you organize your thoughts and provide valuable and interesting information, you can create a successful social media program that increases word-of-mouth and sales.

Do you need help with the SEO copywriting and social media on your site? Please write to me below or check out my site at www.rembrandtwrites.com for more free tips.

]]>If you are a copywriter or small business owner researching SEO (search engine optimization) keywords for your business, it can be overwhelming. You’ll find tons of words via the search engines, Google Analytics, social media efforts, and more. With this in mind, here are…

3 Questions to Ask to Avoid SEO Keyword Stress!

1. What is most important to your SEO strategy?

If you just want to add a few, major keywords to your site, don’t spend a lot of time on research. Figure out the top keywords you want to use, and start using them in your online copy and social media efforts.

These words should work with your overall, marketing goals. For example, if you sell a specific product like, Green Square Widgets, you’ll want to focus on the top keywords related to this product.

Then, test them to see how it’s going. This works well if you are a new entrepreneur and don’t have time to do a full, SEO campaign. You can start small, see how it goes and then go from there.

2. What are your competitors doing?

If you don’t want to spend a lot of time on SEO research, check out your competitors. Go to their sites and see what words they are using. Also, look up your top keywords on the search engines, and look at what sites show up first on the list. This way, you’ll have a better understanding of which companies you are competing with and which words your competition is using to gain online awareness.

If you really want to gain an advantage over your competition and show up on the top of search engine lists for your keywords, it’s important to hire a professional, SEO copywriter to help you. This expert can handle the entire research, writing and monitoring process for you for the best results.

And while this may be an expensive process, it may mean the difference in staying at the status quo or increasing sales and online awareness significantly. And if you don’t want to pay for ongoing SEO after your initial project is completed, you can always obtain training to do it yourself, or hire someone in-house to do it for you.

SEO Provides a Competitive Advantage.

If you sell products and services online, you need SEO in order to compete. And know that it takes time and effort to see results. You can create successful, SEO activities on your own, but if you don’t focus on a specific goal, the amount of work and research can be overwhelming.

The best solution is to hire a professional, SEO copywriter to manage the entire process for you. This way, you won’t feel overwhelmed, and you’ll be more likely to see success.

And if you don’t think you can afford to hire someone, be creative. Research freelancers online, check for students willing to help you at a local university, create a trade situation, or think of another way to get SEO assistance. Then, monitor the process and check the results to avoid wasting time and money. And if it’s successful, you can expand your SEO program at that time.

Remember, SEO was created to help you increase online awareness. Instead of getting overwhelmed, focus on top keywords relevant to your marketing goals and be sure to provide value to your customers. This way, you’ll save yourself some stress, and the search engines will start noticing your site. Most important, you’ll begin to attract new customers interested in what you have to offer.

For additional help with your SEO, please write to me below or at www.rembrandtwrites.com, or click here for more information on creating your own SEO program for your business.

]]>http://www.startupnation.com/start-your-business/launch-a-home-business/stop-seo-stress/feed/123 Ways to Know If You Should Do Social Media or Nothttp://www.startupnation.com/start-your-business/launch-a-home-business/social-media-2/
http://www.startupnation.com/start-your-business/launch-a-home-business/social-media-2/#commentsThu, 23 Feb 2012 14:42:16 +0000http://www.startupnation.com/business-blogs/?p=5069As a small business owner, you are probably inundated with news about the latest, social media trends. There is facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google Plus, and more. Do you have this feeling that you should get involved with it but just aren’t sure? Well, here are… 3 Ways to Know Whether or Not You Should Get [...]

]]>As a small business owner, you are probably inundated with news about the latest, social media trends. There is facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google Plus, and more.

Do you have this feeling that you should get involved with it but just aren’t sure? Well, here are…

3 Ways to Know Whether or Not You Should Get Into Social Media

1. Are your customers using it?

First and foremost, you have to think about your target market and your goals. You should not get involved with social media just to “jump on the bandwagon.”

Before starting a social media process, conduct some research and set goals. What will your customers gain? What do you want to accomplish? What kind of content will you provide? These are just some of the questions to answer prior to starting your social media process.

2. Do you have time to stay connected?

Social media is about interaction and communication. If you don’t have time to post valuable information every day, provide feedback and offer different information on your various, social media channels, your efforts can completely backfire and make your business look stale and out of touch.

To be successful in social media, it’s essential to be present, talk to customers and really communicate with them regularly. Social media can be a full-time job, so if you don’t have time to do it yourself the right way, hire someone who can.

And if you really want to be a part of social media but can’t afford to hire someone to handle it for you, start small. Perhaps, you can start with a facebook page and move up from there? It all depends on how much time you have to devote to your social media efforts to make it a positive experience for you and your customers.

3. Will you track results?

Once you start your social media process, it’s essential to track the results regularly. Otherwise, how are you going to know if your efforts are working or not?

You’ll want to see what content is most popular with your audience so you can provide valuable information, what links people are clicking on most, how different entries relate to sales, and more. The information you track will depend on your specific goals for your social media program.

Once you have this information, you can work on constantly improving your processes to meet customer needs and business milestones.

Ready to move forward?

Yes, social media offers a huge opportunity to reach new customers, increase brand awareness and beat the competition. But if you don’t have a social media plan, and the time to implement and track it the right way, you may waste a lot of time and money. Even worse, you may make a bad impression and end up dealing with a PR nightmare rather than good communications that lead to long-term customer relationships and sales growth.

Do you need help with the way you communicate with your target market via social media, PR and SEO copywriting efforts, please write to me below or at www.rembrandtwrites.com.